Many operators were involved in the evening moderated by Simona Mulazzani, director of IcaroTv
Tourism as a source of values was the theme covered by the various speakers, with different sensitivities and angles.
The mayor of Rimini Jamil Sadegholvaad spoke of “keeping the economy (i.e. tourism) and the soul in balance: every proposal must be based on the characteristics of the places and the people who live there. In Rimini we don’t want the effect of a standardized tourist village.”
Dr. Laura Vici (professor at the Rimini Campus of the University of Bologna) addressed the suggestive theme of the tourist destination, almost as if it were an industrial district, where different strong elements coexist (small businesses, the relational and social aspect) and it works if there is cooperation and competition. An economist coming from a family of hoteliers, Vici then placed the emphasis on hospitality, a typical component of our territory, an imponderable fact from an economic point of view but what characterizes the Riviera and the quality of its tourist offer.
The Dr. Francesco Barbini (professor at the Rimini Campus of the University of Bologna) focused on the topic of work, a “complicated and delicate” topic. Today, work in the tourism sector is less attractive than in the past, because there is a lack – even legally – of strong career progression and only guarantees employment for a few months. “It is important to talk about the dignity of the worker even more than the dignity of work” said Barbini, for the well-being that derives from a situation in which the worker feels at ease. To change this system, according to Barbini, either imitate the large chains or adopt a model capable of extending the season: “It’s a choice that the territory must make.”
Don Marco Foschi, spiritual assistant of the Pastoral Office of Tourism of the diocese of Rimini, proposed four key words. The first is: meeting. “Meeting is a key word that removes the embarrassment of using more economically unbalanced words such as tourist, customer. We meet people, and from this meeting relationships are born, even long-lasting ones. The experience in the parish of Igea Marina is that of a community that tries to be welcoming even in the liturgies and from this style relationships have arisen with many people who – especially from Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto and Trentino they stay in contact all year round and come back to stay with us as soon as they can. The meeting and the welcome triggered elements that no one could have taken into account.”
The second word is: mass. In particular, the dawn mass has become a characteristic of the Igea Marina community. “Born almost as a joke in 2014, as an attempt to intercept a world of young people who returned from the night, over the years it has undergone exponential growth and creates a real community situation”.
The third word is: contact. “Particularly with tour operators. Wonderful doors have opened. Personally, I go to the beach, to hotels and restaurant locations and discover new textures that enhance people and relationships.”
The fourth word is: welcome. “In addition to the typical Romagna welcome, there is something more that we Rimini people can offer, a great possibility for that large city that goes from Bellaria to Cattolica.
Making our territory increasingly a place of meeting and spirituality, in the broadest sense.”
“The Church cares about people, families, their well-being, their joy, their happiness. – said Mgr. Nicolò Anselmi, Bishop of Rimini – A happy life is God’s desire for us. And the world of tourism in our Diocese has to do with this profound desire of the Church and of God.
Tourism – not only on the coast but also on the hills and inland – provides work to a large number of people and work is part of man’s happiness.
Every person needs rest, moments of joy and peace. In the Gospel, Jesus himself says to the disciples: “Come here and rest a while.” To rest even in slower relationships, to be together, meditate, pray, discover, look.”
“The world of tourism – continued Bishop Nicolò – offers families spaces of rest and serenity and the possibility of meeting together in a joyful way. Just as we risk losing ourselves a bit in the frenetic rhythms of everyday life, in rest we can instead find ourselves.
In particular, Rimini tourism can increasingly be characterized as relational tourism, that is, based on being together. This is the way forward: operators, tourists and the Church of Rimini together”.
Tags: Diocese Rimini Tourism source values culture people communities
